Stove for burning solid fuels and an ash container therefor



E. ESSON Filed Sept. 22, 1943 3 Sheets-Sheet l R m m m 7 am. My; Mam w %v l 1%. H M H1 3 w I .M W 1 3 fi Z? a ATTORNEY & $415. E. EssoN 2,403,923

STOVE FOR BURNING SOLID FUELS AND ASH CONTAINER THEREFOR Filed Sept. 22, 1945 3 Sheets-Shae; 2

7 m I I 'l! Z5 60 I 27 0 42 42 o 45 77 1; 8/ J 45 INVENT OR fawli? Essen.

A TTORN Oct. 8, 1946. E. ESSON 2,408,921

STOVE FOR BURNING SOLID FUELS AND ASH CONTAINER THEREFOR Filed Sept. 22, 1943 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR Edw/h Essa/2. 6'6

A TTORNEY Mam Patented Oct. 8, 1946 STOVE FOR BURNING SOLID FUELS AND AN ASH CONTAINER THEREFOR Edwin Esson, Kansas City, Mo., assignor to Locke Stove Company, Kansas City, Mo., :3. corporation of Missouri Application September 22, 1943, Serial No. 503,348

4 Claims. 1

This invention relates to heaters, particularly those for burning solid fuels, and has for its principal object to provide a heater structure which facilitates handling of the ashes that result from burning of the fuels.

Other objects of the invention are to provide a heater with a readily operable drawer for containing the ash receptacle; to provide a heater with a unitary ash drawer and ash compartment door; to provide a single locking mechanism for retaining the unit within the ash compartment; to provide for stopping the opening movement of the drawer; to provide an ash drawer that is substantially self-closing; and to provide a drawer and a track therefor that is kept free of ashes so that there is no interference with movement of the drawer to and from the ash compartment of a heater.

It is also an object of the invention to provide a simple light-weight construction wherein the major parts may be readily and inexpensively formed of cast metal.

In accomplishing these and other objects of the present invention, I have provided an imroved structure, the preferred forms of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings wherein:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the lower front portion of a heater equipped with an ash compartment and drawer embodying the features of the present invention, the drawer being shown in projected position with the ash receptacle removed therefrom.

Fig. 2 is a cross-section through the ash compartment of the heater taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 3 is a sectional View ShOWing the drawer in side elevation and in partially projected posit-ion.

Fig. 4 is a section on the line 45 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the rear supporting bracket for the track members.

Fig. 6 is a horizontal section through the heater at a point directly above the grate through which ashes are discharged into the ash compartment.

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary section on the line 'il in Fig. 6 showing the agitator for preventing clogging of the inlets to the gas burning flues of the heater.

Fig. 8 is a perspective view of one of the agitators.

Fig. 9 is a perspective view of the ash receptacle.

Referring more in detail to the drawings:

1 designates a heater equipped with my invention and which includes a casing 2 having front and rear walls 3-4 and side wall 5-6 that are flanged inwardly along the lower edges as at 'i for support on a base 8, a bottom plate 9 being inserted between flanges In on the base and the flanges I as best shown in Fig. 3 to form the floor of an ash compartment ll. Supported by the walls of the casing in upwardly spaced relation to the floor 9 is a grate basket 12, carrying a grate l3 which forms a top of the ash compartment and the bottom of a fuel magazine It provided in the upper portion of the casing.

In the illustrated device, the fuel magazine is formed by flue tiles l5 positioned within the corner of the casing and spaced apart by refractory blocks It supported upon the marginal edges of the grate basket. Formed in the grate basket below the flue ducts I? of the tiles are recesses 18 for directing combustion supporting air to the lower ends of the flue ducts ll that are provided in the flue tiles Hi. The grate i3 is oscillatably supported in the grate basket and has a plurality of slot-like openings IQ for passing ashes from the grate basket into the ash compartment and combustion supporting air from the ash compartment to the fuel magazine and ducts ll.

In a heater of this character ash may tend to settle within the recesses Hi to block the passage to the flue ducts IT, and to avoid this difficulty, each of the recesses I8 is provided with an agitator 20 conforming in shape thereto and having a pivot 2| projecting downwardly from the bottom thereof and supported within a slot 22 formed in the bottom of the recesses whereby the agitators may be oscillated upon operation of the grate l3, through pin and slot connections 23.

The front wall 3 of the casing is provided below the grate with an opening 24 accommodating a door frame 25 having sides 26 connected by top and bottom rails 21 and 28. The frame also includes a marginal flange 29 by which the frame is attached to the casing 2. Supported within the ash compartment H about midway of the rear wall 4 is bracket 30 which is best illustrated in Fig.5. The bracket includes a plate-like body 3| having upper and lower pairs of projections or pins 32 and 33 to support a crossbar 34 therebetween as later described. The bracket also includes a leg 35 terminating in a foot 35 that is adapted for support on the floor I9 directly above the flanges I and 9. The bracket also includes a head 3'! adapted to cooperate with the casing and door frame 25 in supporting the grate as best shown in Figs. 3 and 4. The bracket is retained in position by suitable fastening devices extended through openings 38 therein and 3 through registering openings in the rear 'wall 4 of the casing 2.

The crossbar 34 when supported between the pairs of pins 32 and 33 extends transversely of the rear wall of the ash compartment spaced slightly below the grate basket and the ends thereof supporting the rear ends of track members 39 and 4G. The track members 39 and 40 are of substantially channel shape in that they have inwardly facing webs 4| provided with lateral flanges 42 and 43 which provide upper and" lower guides for drawer supporting rollers 44 and 65 later described. The track members incline upwardly toward the front wall-3- and the forward ends terminate short of the door frame to provide gaps 46 to accommodate the rollers when they are to be removed fromthe tracks for purposes later described.

In order to provide stops for the rollers the lower flanges 43 of the tracks have depressions 41 therein as shown in Fig. 3. The upper flanges 42 at the forward ends of the tracks terminate in arms 48 that are attached to lugs 49 depending from the upper rail 27 of the door frame 25 as best shown in Figs. 1, 3 and 4, the arms being attached to the legs by fastening devices such as bolts 50. The tracks when in position extend fore and aft of the ash compartment on the respective sides of the door opening as shown in Fig. 2 and the mid-portions of the upper flanges form wings that have upwardly and outwardly curved portions 42 to overlap the outer marginal edges of the grate basket so as to prevent ashes on the grate from falling upon the track members to interfere with operation of the rollers and to prevent discharge of ashes beyond the track members into the ash compartment.

designates an ash drawer which includes side members 52 and 53 preferably formed of relatively fiat castings having webs 54 provided with openings to lighten the weight thereof. The inner lower edges of the side members have lateral flanges 5B and 51' substantially coextensive with the length thereof for attaching a sheet metal bottom member 58. Fixed to the forward ends of the side members and to the bottom member 58-is a door 59 having a flange 60 extending around the marginal edge thereof to seat upon the marginal edge of the door frame when the drawer is closed. The door is secured to the ends of the side members of the drawer by fastening devices such as bolts 6i extending through lugs 62 on the inner face of the door and cars 53 on the ends of the side members as best shown in Fig. 3. The rear edge of the bottom member 58 is flanged upwardly to provide a back 64 which cooperates with the front and side members of the drawer to retain an ash receptacle 65 therein. The back (54 is preferably provided with an elongated opening 86 extending longitudinally thereof directly above the rear edge of the bottom 58 so that any ashes spilled into the drawer may be discharged through the opening 55. The back member of the drawer is preferably inset from-the rear ends of the side members to attach suspension members 6'! seating within recesses 88 in the outer faces of the side members and secured therein by fastening devices 6%, Figs. 3 and 4. The upper ends of the suspension members terminate adjacent the open sides of the tracks'and are provided with spindles T0 for rotatably mounting the rollers 44 and 45, previously mentioned. The rear end of the drawer is thus Y supported by the track members, and is adapted 4 to be guided thereby when the drawer is moved to projected position.

In order to support the front of the drawer the bottom rail of the door frame 25 carries ears H for journaling rollers 12 that are engaged with inset faces 73 of the side members of the drawer as shown in Figs. 3 and 4.

In order to lock the drawer in retracted position and at the same time secure the door 59, the respective sides of the door carry shafts I4 and 'l5provided'with handles 16 on the outer ends and lugs 11 on the inner ends which are adapted to engage keepers l8 projecting from the side members of the door frame as shown in Fig. 4. Combustion supporting air is admitted to the ash pit through an opening 19 provided in the front panel of the door and which is closed by a shutterfifipivotally mounted on a cap-screw 8| as shown in Fig. l, the shutter being provided with a knob or lug 32 on the outer side thereof to facilitate movement thereof to and from open position. The ash receptacle is best illustrated in Fig. 9 and includes a sheet metal body 83 having sides 84 and 85 connected by front and rear ends 86 and 87. The sides 84 and 85and the front end 86 may extend at right angles with respect to the bottom but the rear end 81 is inclined to facilitate insertion and withdrawal of the receptacle and to displace any ashes spilled into the drawer through the opening 66'. The rim of the pan-like body is preferably reinforced by reverseiy bending the upper edges of the walls of the pan as indicated at 88', Fig. 9. The pan may also be provided with a bail 89 pivotally connected to ears 9!) and 9t secured to the sides of the pan substantially midway the length thereof whereby the pan is substantially balanced on the carrying bail.

To facilitate removal and replacement of the pan, the front wall thereof carries a'handle 92' which may be grasped by one hand while the other hand is supporting the bail.

It is assumed that a heater is constructed and assembled as described with the ash receptacle locked in the drawer and the drawer in retracted position within the ash compartment to receive ashes that are discharged through the grate when the drawer is in this position. The rollers 44 and 45'are at the rear ends of the tracks and support the rear end of the drawer, while the front end of the drawer is supported upon the rollers 12 with the door portion of the drawer closing the ash pit opening. When the grate is oscillated by a suitable lever the agitators 20 shake the ashes collected thereon in the direction of the grate so that they fall through' the openings Iii-thereof and into the ash receptacle.

When it is desired to empty the receptacle the handles on the door latch lift a lug thereon out of engagement-with the keeper. The drawer may be withdrawn through the door opening 24 until the top rollers drop into or engage the recesses 47. The ash receptacle may then be readily removed from the drawer; emptied of itscontents, and replaced in the drawer.

A slight pressure on the door end of the drawer will cause the drawer to move retractively under gravity into the compartment to againseat the door on the frame 25. The door may then be locked to retain the assembly by rotating the handles of the latches to again bring the lugs thereof into engagement with the keepers on the sides of the door frame.

From the foregoing it is obvious that I have provided a readily operable structure for handling the ashes discharged into the ash compartment of a heater. It is also obvious that the drawer for containing the ash receptacle is of simple construction, light in weight and substantially rigid to form a serviceable carrier in facilitating removal and replacement of the ash receptacle.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a stove having an ash compartment and a grate above the ash compartment, said ash compartment having a door opening in a side thereof, a frame for the door opening, a transverse member at a side of the ash compartment opposite the door opening, rails connecting the transverse member with the door frame, a bracket supporting the transverse member from the bottom of the ash compartment, a drawer movable into the ash compartment below said rails, flanges on said rails having roller engaging portions, suspension members projecting upwardly from the rear of the drawer, rollers on the suspension members engaging said roller engaging portions of said flanges, wings on said rails extending over the roller engaging portions and under marginal edges of the grate to prevent ashes from falling upon the roller engaging portions of the flanges, and roller means supporting the bottom of the drawer adjacent the door frame.

2. In a stove having a grate discharging into an ash compartment below the grate and provided with a door opening registering with the ash compartment, rails on opposite sides of the ash compartment and having roller engaging track portions, a drawer movable through the door opening into the ash compartment, suspension members on the rear of the drawer, rollers carried by the suspension members and en- 6 gagin said track portions for supporting said track portions for suspnding the drawer from said rails, and wings projecting over the track portions and arranged to direct ashes discharged through the grate into the drawer.

3. In a stove having an ash compartment provided with a door opening, rails on opposite sides of the ash compartment and having track portions, a drawer movable through the door opening into the ash compartment, suspension members fixed to and extending upwardly from the rear of the drawer, rollers on said suspension members engaging with the track portions of said rails, and rollers in the ash compartment and engaging a bottom portion of the drawer for cooperating with the suspension members and the rollers that are carried thereby to facilitate movement of the drawer, said track portions terminating short of the door opening to pass the rollers carried by the suspension members for removing the drawer and having depressions in said termini of the track portions in position to be engaged by the rollers carried by the suspension members.

4. In a stove having an ash compartment provided with a bottom and having a door opening, rails on opposite sides of the ash compartment and inclining downwardly and rearwardly from the door opening toward the rear of the ash compartment, a drawer movable through the door opening into the ash compartment, suspension members at the rear of the drawer, rollers on the suspension members engaging the rails for supporting the rear of the drawer spaced above said bottom, and rollers in the ash compartment adjacent the door opening and below the bottom portion of the drawer to space the front of the drawer above said bottom.

EDWIN ESSON. 

